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Patrick Grant FIELDS AMAZE and other sTRANGE music Review by Gary Hill This set is quite intriguing. It has sounds that are often quite classical in nature. At other times there are Rock In Opposition and jazz fusion oriented. Still other portions of the disc lean more fully toward progressive rock. Other than the closing piece, this is all instrumental. It's also all intriguing and effective. This is actually a re-release, remix of an older album with some bonus material. I haven't heard that earlier version, so I only have this one to go on. I find this to be fascinating stuff. This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2018 Volume 6. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2018.

Track by Track Review

Keeping Still Percussion brings this into being and it gets quite dramatic and powerful as it drives forward. It get some more melodic elements after a time, but the percussive concepts remain the main factors. There are some dissonant bits of melody further down the road. More full jazz instrumentation joins as the cut continues to evolve, taking command after a time. This is still heavily percussive, though.

Fields Amaze Piano sounds begin this, and the cut grows out from there. While this is more melodic, it still has a prominent percussive element at its heart. There is both world music and fusion at the heart of it. This is an insistent cut that is also suitably odd. It feels almost like soundtrack music, but is more intense than that might indicate. There are also some sections here that get into some driving, nearly mainstream, rock modes. This is a dynamic and powerful piece of music.

A Visible Track of Turbulence I This is dramatic and dynamic. It's also decidedly classical in nature. It's so powerful and has some of the most intriguing musical passages of the whole set. This is one of the highlights here.

Everything Distinct_Everything the Same At close to 11 and a half minutes of music, this is the epic of the set. It powers in with a classical meets jazz approach and pounds forward in that general vein. There are some cool twists and turns along this road. I love the speeding up stuff later in the piece.

A Visible Track of Turbulence II Rock In Opposition and other fusion elements are on display here. This twists this way and that and is quite an intriguing and unusual piece. Around the three and a half minute mark the piece drops to mellower textures and a flute plays overhead. There is a slight return to some of the earlier stuff right at the end, but it never rises to the same level.

Imaginary Horror Film - Part 1 Dramatic and powerful there is a cool electronic edge to this. That's directed and informed by more of that types of sounds we've heard on the rest of the material here. There is definitely a menacing kind of horror movie element to the piece. It's quite a powerful number. It drops to a mellower section for a short time, but then powers back upward with decidedly horror film like element leading the upward drive. There are some decidedly symphonic moments as this drives forward. There are also some parts of this that are trademark progressive rock. In fact, the section around the seven minute mark is a full progressive rock section. It loses the horror film element in favor of a more triumphant sounding prog texture. It shifts toward an almost ELP like driving segment from there.

The Weights of Numbers As this opens I'm definitely reminded of both Tangerine Dream and Synergy. This is energized and powerful. California Guitar Trio is also a valid reference point on this number. It has a lot of energy and really covers some intriguing ground as it evolves.

Imaginary Horror Film - Part 2 Classical music, symphonic prog and more combine on this tastefully creepy and powerful track. It has some cool shifts and turns as it wanders through various movements. There are some parts of this that make me think of something that would be in a Tim Burton movie. There are also other things that call to mind Nox Arcana. It's dynamic and diverse ride that has some very dramatic sections.

If One Should Happen to Fall The only track with vocals (of the female variety) this is more of a pure prog rock piece. It's a powerhouse cut that has some intriguing musical and lyrical patterns built into it.

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